Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-01
THE SCENE ON THE BAY.
How the Contrasting Yachts Behaved-A
Grand Race.

itop!Tl, 1901, oy ute can oT7lG Associated Press.
NEW YORK, September 30th.-[Special i
Americas cup will remain here for the present
The Scotch yacht Thistle was beaten hand
somely to-day in the outside race-twenty miles
to westward and return-by the Volunteer. The
American boat demonstrated on Tuesday that
she could point to windward better than the
Thistle To-day she confirmed this and also
proved that she could go through the water
faster. In the twenty mile beat-to-Windward the
Volunteer beat the Thistle about fifteen min
utes, but the Thistle can run before the wind
faster than the Volunteer. She made up a few
minutes of the lost time in the run home to-day,
and finished about eleven minutes astern of her
American rival.
Owner Bell, of the Thistle, said tonight that
he believed no boat was ever built that could
beat the Volunteer in a thrash to windward
but he thought his boat could beat her reach,
ing as well as running.
PREPARING FOR THE START.
1t was foggy and rainy, and there WAS yery
little wind III the upper harbor when the yacht
Talisman, having on board representatives of
the New York papers and of the San Francisco
CdH left the Battery at S o'clock this morning
and the prospect was for repetition of yester-
day S uncomfortable pitch and roll. The two
hours run TO the Scotland light ship, from which
the race sarted, was hardly pleasure SAIL
There was plenty of wind. however, in the
lower bay, and outside of the Hook it was
blowing twenty miles an hour. There was a
little mist in the atmosphere, but one could see
objects four miles away, if the surface of the
ocean rested long enough to allow one to look
at anything.
Around the light ship were grouped twenty
five or more excursion boats, steam yachts and
tugs, and up the bay more were seen coming
out The Racing Committee did not leave the
spectators long i'll suspense, for at 1921
GUN FROM THE ELECTRA
Called attention to the international code
signal CT set at the main masthead, which
indicated that the course would be cast by
north, right in the eye of the wind At the
same time the tug Haviland, with the New
HH-fr,r
red ball hoisted on her bow mast, started to log
off the course
A warning gun at 1890 called the racers,
which were sailing about nearly mile away
d own, to close maneuvering just above the
line. 1t had stopped raining, and the sea was
not excessively rough.
THE STARTING GUN
Was fired at 1910, and twenty-seconds later the
Thistle carefully slid over the line on the star
board tack, close TO the Electra and almost in
the smoke of her gun. The Volunteer was
close behind, also on the staTboard tack and
just to the windward of the Scotchman, and
seen on this coast.
The steamers kept well out of the way The
Thistle had borrowed the idea from the Voun-
teer, and when two or three rowdv tugs came
rather near she displayed a warming sign over
her stern. 1t read: Please keep astern.''
That CT the Volunteer displayed on Tuesday
had only two words The course laid by the
racers was northeast half north. The Thistles
skipper pinche1 her as close as he dared, but
the Volunteer began to go to windward from
the start.
BOTH HEELED OVER GAILY
In the twenty-knot breeze and travelled 50 fast
that the steamers had to throw their valves well
open 10 keep up. The New York Yacht Clubs
steamer came down the bay few minutes after
the start, with several others i'll her wake, and
swelled the accompanying feet to about forty
vessels.
In half an hour the Volunteer had got several
hundred yards to the windward, and was well
abreast the Thistle Tho
TO be jubilant. The cutter-men looked sober
but said wait till they round the outer mark
then you will see the Thistle get to the 'front.'
Still the racers kept on the Starboard tack
and still the Volunteer slowly widened the lines
on which they were sailing, all the time keep.
ing fully abreast of her rival, If not ahead.
CROwDING ON SAILS.
Each had her mainsail, staysail lib and gaff
topsail set, and this was a sufficient spread of
canvas to drive them along at rattling pace.
Now and then the Thistle's sails would shake
from too close pinching, but the Volunteers, for
most part. set fiat and steady, and were well
filed. At ll:l9 the Thistle went about port
tack.
The big hotel at Rocllaway Beach on the Long
Island Shore, bore northwest three miles away.
The racers had travelled nearly twelve miles,
and were advanced about eight toward the
outCr mark. The Volunteer kept on her course
long enough to let everybody see the Thistle
pass under her stern, and then came about at
l1:l5, ha a mile to windward.
At u o'clock the wind hauled about two points
to southwark, and the yachts fell Off To Il course
about southeast-half south. The Volunteer was
making much better time than the Thistle The
latter frequently plunged deep into the head
seas, while the Volunteer rode them lightly
Both kept on the port tack until I2:47, when the
Volunteer, With sufficient lead to act independ-
emily, came about.
The Thistle, doubtless mindful of the old
maxim, " Stick to the boat you want to beat.
tackled three minutes later. over Il mile to lee
ward. The wind had grown a tritle lighter, and
at % the Volunteer set her club topsail over
the topsail already in place, and the Thistle did
likewise five minutes later
Bell said afterward that they set their sail
simply to have it ready for the run home, so as
not to be bothered with il while setting the
spinnaker. The probability is they set it be-
cause the Volunteer set hers. At ell events, the
maneuver seemed to help the American the
most. By this time
OLD CAPTAIN SAMCELs,
Who commanded the Dauntless in the ocean
yacht with the Coronet last March. had picked
up the mark boat and had headed his excursion
steamer Bay Ridge for il, and all the feet fol-
lowed his lead. The racers, pressboat and the
flag ship then had the expanse of ocean 10 them
selves.
At 1:S7 the Volunteer again went about on
port tack, and five minutes later the Thistle
followed suit.
At . O'Clock the Volunteer was once more on a
starboard tack, and laid her course so well that
she fell only n connie of hundred Yards To loo.